A promising preview from Allen Webster

Share this:

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia singles in the 1st inning. The Boston Red Sox take on the Kansas City Royals in the first game of a double header at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday, April 21, 2013.

Red Sox catcher Mike Carp can''t make a catch on a pop up into the stands in the 6th inning of Sunday''s second game against the Royals at Fenway Park.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli is congratulated at home plate by Boston Red Sox designated hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia after his solo home run in the 1st inning. The Boston Red Sox take on the Kansas City Royals in the second game of a double header at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday.

Boston Mayor Tom Menino waves after he was introduced to the crowd at Fenway Park at the Sox take on the Kansas City Royals in the second game of a double header at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday.

Red Sox starting pitcher Allen Webster pitches in the 1st inning against the Kansas City Royals in the second game of a double header at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday

ans sing to "Sweet Caroline" in the 7th inning.The Boston Red Sox take on the Kansas City Royals in the first game of a double header at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday, April 21, 2013.

Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz his congratulated in the dugout after he was taken out for a pinch runner in the 8th inning. The Boston Red Sox take on the Kansas City Royals in the first game of a double header at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday, April 21, 2013.

Red Sox designated hitter Jonny Gomes has Boston Strong and names of the victims on his bat. The Boston Red Sox take on the Kansas City Royals in the first game of a double header at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday, April 21, 2013.

A group of first responders fro the marathon embrace on the Sox dugout after they were honored during the game. The Boston Red Sox take on the Kansas City Royals in the first game of a double header at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday, April 21, 2013.

Royals catcher George Kottaras celebrates with relief pitcher Greg Holland after the Royals completed a doubleheader sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway Park Sunday, April 21,2013.

It took Allen Webster exactly one pitch to realize he wasn’t in the minor leagues anymore. Summoned from Triple-A Pawtucket earlier in the day, Webster soaked in the crowd at Fenway Park, got his nerves in check, and just after 7 p.m. whipped a 95 mph fastball at Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon.

Webster figured he’d be taking. Gordon had other ideas, lacing a double off the Monster in left.

Welcome to the majors, rookie.

The good news for the Red Sox is that Webster did not let that moment defeat him. Gordon scored on an error, and then Webster proved himself worthy of the considerable hype that has come his way not so much since the Red Sox acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers last August, but since a dominant spring training had Sox fans dreaming of the next Clay Buchholz or Derek Lowe.

“That kid has a real good future ahead of him,” catcher David Ross said.

Webster did not figure in a 5-4 loss to the Royals in the second game of last night’s doubleheader. He left with a 4-3 lead after six, having allowed five hits and three runs (two earned). He walked one, struck out five and spent the bulk of the night around the plate, throwing 57-of-84 pitches for strikes.

“I felt comfortable from, well, not the first pitch,” the understated Webster said with an aww-shucks chuckle. “Once I got through that first inning, things started getting smooth for me.”

Webster’s only real mistakes came in the fifth, when he left fastballs up to ex-Red Sox catcher George Kottaras and Gordon. The former landed in the bullpen, while the latter barely snuck into the Monster seats for solo homers that tied the game at 3.

In the process, Webster learned a valuable lesson that doesn’t sink in until the majors, where even a career .220 hitter like Kottaras can be dangerous.

“If you miss your spots, you’re going to pay for it,” Webster said. “The two home runs, I didn’t get the ball down and they took advantage of it and made me pay.”

Everything about this start was a learning experience for the 23-year-old, who hadn’t pitched above Double A until his first two starts at Pawtucket this year — in which he posted an ERA of 0.90, incidentally.

Wisely relying on Ross to call the game, Webster let his stuff take over. He threw first-pitch curveballs for strikes, touched 98 mph with his fastball, and buried devastating changeups that looked like strikes out of his hand before dive-bombing out of the zone. He recorded 13 swings-and-misses, an indication of how good (albeit unfamiliar to the Royals) his stuff was.

“You don’t ever want to catch a guy into trouble and ask him to do something that’s a little tougher to do,” Ross said. “We didn’t throw any front-hip sinkers to lefties; that’s something he’s still working on, like that two-strike comebacker, so we kind of stayed away from that. I tried to stay mainly away. We didn’t go in too much because I know how hard that is.

“Sometimes as you get to know a guy, as they mature more, they prove to you that they can do some things. And he didn’t prove to me he couldn’t do anything tonight, to be honest with you. He did everything I asked him to do.”

Ross is still kicking himself for the home run to Gordon, which came on a 96 mph 2-2 fastball away that caught too much of the plate, wishing he had called for a fastball inside or a changeup to the left-handed hitter.

“It just stinks that we couldn’t get the win for him,” Ross said.

Ross shouldn’t feel too bad. Though Webster knew entering the start that it would be a one-and-done affair before he returns to Pawtucket, it’s safe to say we haven’t seen the last of the wiry right-hander.